FAYETTE, Iowa – With a balanced attack, University of Sioux Falls Women's Basketball shook off their first loss of the season, defeating Upper Iowa, 67-58, on Saturday evening. The Cougars improve to 6-1 on the season with a 2-1 record in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference competition.
 
Four different Cougars scored in double figures led by Kaely Hummel's big second half to finish with 18 points. Sam Knecht scored 16 on the night, bringing her career total to 999 points. Jacey Huinker was everywhere fro the Cougars scoring a career-high 11 points and handing out a career-best seven assists while grabbing five rebounds. Alyson Johnsen connected on two threes to help her to 10 points.
 
Knecht was fouled on the first possession of the game and she hit both of her free throw attempts for a 2-0 Cougar lead, however USF would not lead for the rest of the first quarter as Upper Iowa built a six-point lead a few minutes into the game. Johnsen hit her first three to cut into the lead and Huinker converted a layup following one of Madi Robson's five steals.
 
Upper Iowa responded to push their lead back to five at 16-11, but Huinker responded with a jumper and Andi Mataloni connected on a 3-pointer to tie the game. UIU's Blair Klostermann hit a three with less than a minute in the first period, giving the Peacocks a 19-16 lead through the first 10 minutes of play.
 
Huinker connected on two free throws and Hummel hit her first basket of the game to answer a UIU bucket to keep the deficit at one. Hummel followed with a 3-pointer on the next possession for USF's first lead since the opening possession. Knecht broke a tie with a jumper and UIU followed with a three, but Johnsen responded with her second triple of the day to give USF a 28-26 advantage.
 
The teams again traded 3-pointers with Mataloni responding to UIU's triple and Brooke Smith followed with two free throws for a four-point USF advantage. After two Upper Iowa free throws Knecht beat the buzzer with a layup to give USF a 35-31 lead at halftime.
 
A defensive stop out of the break led to a Hummel three and she connected on another triple two possessions later for a nine-point USF lead. Huinker and Knecht answered UIU's scores then Hummel hit her third three of the first five minutes of the second half, pushing Sioux Falls' lead to double digits, 47-37.
 
Hummel broke a near-three minute scoring drought with layup and Knecht followed with a jumper to return the lead back to 10 points. Two Upper Iowa free throws at the one-minute mark brought USF's lead to eight, where it would stay at the end of the quarter with Sioux Falls up 51-43, entering the fourth quarter.
 
Robson converted a layup on the break to answer Upper Iowa's free throws that started the quarter. Hummel hit her fourth three of the second half with 5:49 to play and Huinker converted an and-one opportunity to push the Cougars' lead back to double digits at 59-49.
 
Johnsne and Knecht combined for six straight points to push USF's lead to its largest point of the day, up 65-51. The teams would trade baskets, including another Knecht layup, and Upper Iowa hit a 3-pointer in the final minute of the game to bring the final score to 67-58.
 
The Cougars return home to start a three-game home stand, beginning with St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth on Dec. 9 and 10.